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Tourism
Tourism makes up roughly 50% of all economic
activity in Puerto Vallarta. The high season for
international tourism in Puerto Vallarta extends
from late November through March. The city is especially
easy to access and particularly popular with US
residents because of the number
of convenient flights that exist from Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle
and other cities in the US, including
Denver.
Tourist
Attractions in Puerto Vallarta
- Parish Church of
Our Lady of Guadalupe - Col. Centro
- Púlpito and
Pilitas (Pulpit and Baptismal Font)
- Col. Emilio Zapata - two rock
formations at the South end of Los
Muertos Beach. El Púlpito is the
tall headland and Las Pilitas are
the formation of rocks beneath it.
Las Pilitas was the original
location of the Boy on a Seahorse
sculpture (El Caballito) now located
on the Malecón. There are two
streets in the Olas Altas area named
after the rock formations.
- Playa Conchas
Chinas (Chinese Shells Beach) -
Fracc. Amapas - the city's most
secluded beach, located to the South
of the headland which forms the
boundary of Los Muertos beach.
-
%20of%20mermaid.jpg) The Malecon -
paved walkway along the seashore in
Col. Centro - especially popular
during the Sunday evening paseo. It
features a collection of
contemporary sculptures by Sergio
Bustamante, Alejandro Colunga, Ramiz
Barquet and others. The Malecon was
extensively rebuilt in 2002-2003
following damage from hurricane
Kenna.
- Mercado Isle
Cuale and Mercado Municipal Cuale -
there are two large public markets
in the Centro along the banks of the
Cuale selling a variety of artisanal
and souvenir goods, and the Isla
Cuale has a number of souvenir
vendor shops as well. The Isla Cuale
was also famous for its cat
population. The Island was a lower
class suburb until flooding during
Hurricane Lily (1971) forced
residents to be relocated. They were
moved to Pa'lo Seco (which means for
dry ground) and the Island was
converted into a site for
restaurants, shops and a cultural
center.
- Cuale
Archaeological Museum - on the West
side of the Isla Cuale, the museum
presents a significant collection of
local and regional pre-hispanic art
in a number of informative displays.
The museum also houses a small
gallery for showing contemporary
art.
- John Huston
statue on Isla Cuale - dedicated on
the 25th anniversary of the film's
release and honoring Huston's
contributions to the city. John's
son Danny was married in a ceremony
that took place at the statue in
2002.
- Plaza de Armas
(Ignacio Vallarta) / Aquiles Serdan
Amphitheater (Los Arcos) - the
city's main plaza - site of public
concerts both at the bandstand in
the Plaza de Armas and on the stage
in front of the arches across the
street.
- City Hall - a
modern city hall laid out using a
traditional courtyard plan. There is
a tourist office in the SW corner,
and on the landing of the main (West
off the courtyard) stairwell there
is a modest naive style mural by
local artist Manuel Lepe.
- Saucedo Theatre
Building (Juarez at Iturbide) -
Built in 1922 in a Belle Epoque
style reminiscent of architecture of
the Porfirato. The theater presented
live shows and films on its first
floor, and the second floor housed a
ballroom. The building has been
converted to retail use.
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Beaches in Vallarta
More Area
Beaches
-
 Playa Camarones
(Shrimp Beach) - Col. 5 de Deciembre
(vicinity of Av. Paragua - Hotel
Buenaventura. This is the
northernmost public beach in the
City of Puerto Vallarta proper. It
is named after the shrimp fisherman
that once landed their launches on
the beach to unload their catch
- Playa Olas Altas
(High Waves Beach) - Col. Emilio
Zapata - the beach extends from the
Cuale River South to the fishing
pier. In spite of the name, the
waves offshore are not particularly
high, and the beach is a popular
place to swim, especially for locals
and national tourists. The beach is
lined with outdoor restaurants.
- Playa Los Muertos
(Beach of the Dead) - Col. Emilio
Zapata - the city's largest public
beach. Legend has it the beach's
name (Dead Men's Beach) stems from a
battle between pirates and local
miners after which bodies remained
strewn on the beach, but it's a
legend, since there were never any
miners in Vallarta. The South
Side of the beach is a popular
gathering spot for gay and lesbian
tourists. The North end is
frequented mostly by locals, and
national tourists. The city has
recently tried to change the name of
the beach to Playa del Sol.
- Playa Boca de
Tomates (Mouth of Tomatoes) - a
beach located near the mouth of the
Ameca River. The beach is not very
popular among international tourists
due to the rocks that come ashore
especially in the summertime. Its
proximity to the Ameca River which
carries muddy rainwater in the
summertime causes the water to lose
its clarity making it appear dirty.
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